


The Communal Comatose Calamity

by LtSarai



Category: The Big Bang Theory (TV)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Car Accidents, Character Death, Coma, F/M, Hospitalization, I'm serious about the character death guys, Includes some emotional sex but like not physically bc it's all in their shared coma dream, Shared Coma, Tragedy, like you will cry unless you're an emotionless monster or i'm a shit writer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:41:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 7,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25613755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LtSarai/pseuds/LtSarai
Summary: Sheldon makes Amy his emergency contact and after a few days Amy isn't sure she can handle it. Something happens before she can get it changed and suddenly she's not so annoyed anymore. (Starts canon ships, eventual Shenny)
Relationships: Leonard Hofstadter/Penny, Sheldon Cooper/Amy Farrah Fowler, Sheldon Cooper/Penny
Comments: 6
Kudos: 44





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This story starts up in season 6 right after The Tangible Affection Proof and ends sometime after the end of the season but before the next.

Amy had been Sheldon's emergency contact for a few months now and it was starting to take a toll on her. They were on her couch when Amy brought it up.

"Sheldon, I know you think everything wrong with you is a medical emergency, but you can't honestly expect me to stop everything at the drop of a hat just because you're a hypochondriac."

Sheldon looked at Amy as if she had two heads and sat his mug of cocoa on the coffee table. "But you're my girlfriend. That's what you're supposed to do; drop everything and make sure I'm alright. I would do the same for you, provided I'm not otherwise incapacitated." He paused for breath then continued. "And I'm not a hypochondriac. Now, it's almost my bedtime, so please take me home." He stood and put his mug in the sink. He stepped toward the door, but hesitated when he realized Amy hadn't moved.

"No, Sheldon," she said. Her voice was resigned. "I do not wish to be used without a care."

Facing her once more, he disagreed. "Don't be silly. You are not being used without a care. It is with extreme care that I chose you as my emergency contact."

"And I appreciate the thoughtfullness, Sheldon, but..." She took a deep breath. "I don't think I can do this anymore. Find someone else to be your emergency contact. I thank you for a lovely evening of intellectual conversation. You may take the bus home. I'm tired."

A bewildered look crossed his face. "But I don't have my bus pants. And the nearest bus stop is two blocks away." In his eyes it was a terrible inconvenience and would likely throw off his REM cycle.

Amy stood and turned toward her bedroom. Without looking back she said, "I'm sorry, Sheldon. I don't feel like driving you." With that she shut her bedroom door and left Sheldon standing there.

As he left her apartment he said to no one in particular, "Well, with that kind of attitude you won't get anywhere."

He stood at a stop light, breath condensing before him. The light changed and "walk" lit up, allowing him to continue his trek to the bus stop. Right as the bus pulled away. Without him on it.

He heard a clap of thunder and was suddenly drenched.

_Drat! Now not only did I miss the bus, but I have to walk home without an umbrella. I hope Amy is ready to care for me when I get pneumonia._

He got another two blocks before a car slowed next to him. It was Penny, on her way home from work.

"Hey sweetie, need a ride?"

Sheldon opened the door and hurried inside. "Of course I need a ride, Penny," he said, miffed that she even had to ask. "Amy refused to drive me home and I missed the bus. And then it started raining. Your check engine light is still on."

The light turned green and Penny pressed the gas pedal. "Get over it, Sheldon. If we die in a fiery car crash it won't be my fault. There is nothing wrong with my car."

There was also nothing wrong with the car that shot through the red light.


	2. Chapter 1

Hours after she heard Sheldon leave, Amy's phone rang, waking her up.

Not bothering to look at the caller ID, she groggily answered, "Hello?"

"Hello, this is Dr. Capaldi at Pasadena Regional Hospital. Are you Amy Farrah Fowler?"

"Yes," she said, more awake now but wary of another false alarm. "Is this about Dr. Sheldon Cooper?"

"Yes, he has you listed as his emergency contact."

"Listen," she interrupted the doctor. "If he's there complaining about a brain tumor, or something, he's just-"

"No no, Miss Fowler. He's been in an accident."

Amy's first thought was _'Oh no, this is my fault.'_

Her second was to rush to the hospital, followed closely by _'I need to tell Leonard.'_

Instead, she asked, "Is he alright?"

"He and the driver, a miss Penny Queen, were both severely injured. They're in surgery now. We're unable to ascertain at the moment whether they'll pull through, but we're doing absolutely everything we can."

Amy's stomach dropped at Penny's name. Her bestie and her boyfriend were in surgery after a car accident. Her voice was shaky as she replied. "I'll be right there. Thank you for calling."

~*DD*~*DD*~*DD*~

Leonard had been taking advantage of an empty apartment, unmindful of his roommate's whereabouts, when Amy called. "Hey Amy." He didn't get any further before she cut him off.

_"Sheldon and Penny have been in an accident and it's all my fault!"_

Leonard felt his stomach drop. "Amy, slow down. Where are they?"

 _"Pasadena Regional. I'm on my way there right now."_ Leonard grabbed his keys and rushed out the door, listening to Amy. _"Leonard, it's my fault. I got in an argument with Sheldon and refused to drive him home so he was forced to take the bus, but he must have missed it and decided to walk. I guess Penny picked him up and they were hit. Leonard, they're in surgery and they don't know if they're going to be okay."_ It was still raining. Leonard was starting to worry about Amy's mental health and whether she should be driving. Just as he got in his car he heard her car door open and close. _"I'm at the hospital now, get here as soon as you can."_ Then she hung up, still crying. He hadn't got a chance to tell her it wasn't her fault. He fired off a text to Raj and Howard and rushed to the hospital.

Just as he spotted Amy in the waiting room a doctor in blood spattered scrubs walked up to her.

"Amy!" he rushed over, worry twisting in his gut. "How are they?"

The surgeon, Dr. Tam, didn't look happy. "I'm afraid it's worse than we thought. Miss Queen is stable, but her skull was cracked upon impact with the driver's side window, in addition to a broken leg, broken arm, 4 broken ribs, and a punctured lung. Dr. Cooper, on the other hand..." Dr. Tam drew a breath and released it slowly. "We're doing everything we can, but he wasn't so lucky. The car hit the passenger side, so he got the worst of it. His entire right side was crushed. We managed to stop the internal bleeding, but his neck was broken and his skull fractured." The color had drained from Leonard's and Amy's faces. "If he survives, he'll almost certainly sustain permanent brain damage." The tears accumulating in Amy's eyes fell once more. "I'm sorry. We're doing the best we can." Leonard, stone-faced and hollow-eyed, led Amy to a seat and held her while she cried.

Raj, Howard, and Bernadette arrived shortly after. Leonard told everyone what Amy had told him, causing Bernadette to burst into tears as well. Howard rubbed her back soothingly and laid a hand on Raj's shoulder.


	3. Chapter 2

**They who dream by day are cognizant of many things that escape those who dream only by night. - Edgar Allan Poe,** _**Eleonora** _

The black surrounded him and Sheldon couldn't move.

For the longest time, he was stuck; then light crept up like dawn and his limbs seemed lighter. When he was able to move he turned and saw that he was standing under a tree on the edge of a brilliant meadow that smelled oddly of vanilla and apple, despite there not being any of either in sight. There were buttercups, violets, daisies, and even bright red asphodel sprinkled here and there, but no reason for the vanilla or apple smells, and this bothered him. He turned to investigate more and saw Penny, sitting cross-legged, making a daisy chain. Missy had once taught him how to make them, but he had never utilized the skill, preferring instead to stay indoors away from germ-infested dirt. Plus, the pollen messed with his asthma.

"Oh, hey, Sheldon," Penny grinned up at him. If he had been the poetic type he might've thought it was her smile that chased away the darkness. But that wasn't quite right, because while she was no doubt lovely, she was somewhat...dull. In fact, compared to their surroundings she was all but lifeless. Like he was looking at an old photograph in terrible need of restoration. "What are you doin' here? I woulda thought you'd be far away from a place like this. There's no Wi-Fi out here." She giggled and his heart stuttered. Despite her lack of brightness she was somehow more radiant here than she was at home. It was as if Sheldon were looking at how Penny would _like_ to be, rather than how she really was. It would have been a captivating sight even in black and white.

"Well, since you're here you may as well get comfortable and start a chain of your own." Her eyes still held the spark of life, and were the brightest part of her, matching the green of the grass on which she sat.

"Penny, you know I can't get comfortable just anywhere," he automatically reprimanded. "What are we doing in a meadow, anyway?" Nonetheless, he sat next to her, awkwardly crossing his legs, uncrossing them, then re-crossing them before realizing he didn't feel uncomfortable or panicked. "Penny, my mysophobia isn't making itself known." Confusion was evident on his face.

Penny looked up from her daisy chain and smiled again, but only to hide her own confusion. "Your what?"

Sheldon touched the ground tentatively, like someone testing water temperature, and said, "Mysophobia: fear of germs. I should be squirming in panic right now because millions of microbes are currently invading my person. Instead I feel...nothing." He stretched his legs out in front of him experimentally and leaned back on his hands. He was wearing his favorite pair of plaid pants, a black thermal, and his favorite red Flash t-shirt, but they were just as dull as Penny in color.

Something about this scene didn't sit well with Sheldon, but he couldn't put his finger on it. And that unsettled him more than anything, because Sheldon remembered everthing.

"Penny, tell me something about yourself that I don't know and that I wouldn't make up myself."

"Why?" She picked another flower and added it to her chain, then tied it off. It was too small to be a necklace and too large to be a bracelet. Her grin widened and she leaned over and placed the circle on his head. "There. A crown for the king whack-a-doodle."

His eyes rolled up to look at the 'crown' and an uncertain look crossed his face. "Because, Penny," he returned his gaze to hers. "I believe I may be dreaming and I need to ascertain whether you are the real Penny or simply a dream version my mind has created."

Something about Penny's features seemed to darken when he said that. "I was hoping you wouldn't notice," she muttered. He suddenly wished he hadn't said anything. He'd made her unhappy and he didn't want that.

"I notice everything, Penny," he whispered, eyes focused on his knees.

She gave him a sad half-smile and covered his hand. He shifted his weight forward and turned his hand to clasp hers. It was something he'd wanted to do before but couldn't due to his mysophobia and Relationship Agreement with Amy. However, if he were dreaming he could do whatever he wanted without fear of repercussion.

"We are dreaming, Sheldon," Penny said, laying her head on his shoulder. "But I really am the real Penny. Just as you are really the real Sheldon. Like that scene from Harry Potter. Of course it's in your head, but why should that mean it isn't real?"

And therein lies the problem with this meadow: it was a dream. A manifestation of chemicals made to keep the brain active during periods when it was shut down for maintenance. That's why the meadow seemed so familiar and bright while they, themselves, were so lacking. It was a dream. It also explained his lack of panic. It wasn't real.

"How can you be the real Penny if I'm dreaming?" Sheldon asked. He wasn't really expecting an answer, more just thinking aloud.

Still with her head on his shoulder, she said, " _We_ , Sheldon. _We're_ dreaming. Together. Somehow."

Sheldon thought he understood now. "The crash." He felt Penny nod her head against his shoulder. "Which means that the heavy blackness I, and presumably you, experienced before waking here was the anesthesia during surgery."

Penny nodded. "That's what I thought."

Sheldon let go of her hand and manouvered his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. He knew that's what people did to comfort others, and now he could do so for Penny. She turned into him and buried her face in his neck, arms encircling his chest, and for a while they just held each other.


	4. Chapter 3

Leonard had called Penny's dad and Sheldon's mom. They both said they'd be there as soon as they could.

Penny's dad was settling in Penny's apartment the next morning. Missy arrived shortly after to prepare for Mary and Meemaw, who took a train. Leonard let her and Mary use his room while he took the couch. As the only person they were sure Sheldon wouldn't mind, Meemaw used Sheldon's room.

Mary was cooking dinner when Raj, Howard, and Bernadette walked in. Amy, Missy, and Meemaw (whose name was Leanne but insisted everyone call her Meemaw) sat on the couch and Wyatt sat on a bar stool. It was clear that the armchair would go to Mary, so Howard and Bernadette took the desk chairs while Raj sat on the floor near Amy's feet.

Missy had her arm around Amy's shoulders. She had finally stopped crying, but she still occasionally whispered "It's my fault."

Now that everyone was in the same room Leonard felt an explanation was due, and seeing as Amy wasn't exactly forthcoming, he supposed it was his responsibility to provide it.

He took a deep breath and started. "Sheldon had recently changed his emergency contact from me to Amy. I got used to just ignoring every call, but Amy obviously cares about Sheldon more than I do. She couldn't take her days being interrupted for the 'inconsequential trivialities' that Sheldon liked to think were emergencies. They had a fight and Sheldon started to walk home. I guess Penny drove by after it started raining, and they got hit by a car that hydroplaned through a red light.

"Really, it's no one's fault," he finished, looking at his shoes. He hadn't made eye contact with anyone since Dr. Tam had told them of their friends' conditions.

Mary, of course, heard him and stopped her preperations to take a deep breath. She had to be strong right now. "Dinner's ready. Come 'n get it."

After Mary said grace silence fell over the group and they ate.

Surprisingly Raj was the first to break the silence, but it was with no less solemnity.

"It seems so very insignificant after everything, but...Lucy broke up with me."

More silence followed, though the girls bowed their heads in understanding and Howard clapped him on the shoulder. Somehow, this comforted Raj immensely.

After dinner Leonard and Wyatt volunteered to do the dishes to give Mary a break.

Missy went up to Raj and hugged him. "You wanna come with me to get some ice cream for dessert? You can have a whole tub to yourself if ya want."

Raj nodded. "I would like that."

~*DD*~*DD*~*DD*~

Missy remembered Raj's mutism, so she didn't ask about Lucy. However, she needn't have. Apparently Lucy dumping him had broken the dam. Raj told Missy all about his defective relationship on their way to the store.

By the time they returned to the apartment Missy knew more about Raj than she did her latest ex. She felt sorry for him, but it was more than that. She felt a pull toward him that she didn't have the will to resist. Before he opened to the door to 4A Missy set down the buckets of ice cream she was carrying and pulled Raj into a tight hug.

"I'm so sorry you're hurtin, Sweet," she whispered. "I'm here if ya wanna talk s'more."

Raj smiled his gratidue and nodded in thanks.


	5. Chapter 4

There was hardly a minute where they weren't touching in some fashion or another, be it physical touching or simply being near the other. They were the only real things in this strange dreamworld; they had to keep themselves anchored or they might lose themselves and not wake up.

It was a very real fear at the moment, so neither dared leave the others' side for more than a few seconds.

Since coming to the realization that they were sharing a dream, Sheldon became aware of a distinct bond between himself and Penny that had been there for an unknown amount of time. It wasn't something new to him, but he had never acknowledged it; hadn't known that there was anything of which to be aware. It was just there, barely making itself known. Now, however, Sheldon felt the bond acutely. When he made mention of it to Penny she smiled.

"I feel it, too, Sheldon." Then she wrapped an arm around his torso and squeezed, an action to which he was steadily acclimating.

"I think it has always been there, this bond," he went on, draping his arm across her shoulders. "I just never took notice of it before now."

Penny turned her body toward him and cupped his cheek. "I think you're partly right," she said with a smirk, then continued before he could counter. "It has always been there. But I think you've also noticed it before, you just didn't know what it was until now." Her thumb stroked his cheekbone as she spoke. "I've felt it since the very first day, but I denied it." A sad smile graced her features and Sheldon wanted nothing more than to make her happy again. "Probably the dumbest thing I've ever done."

Sheldon mirrored her movement and raised his hand to stroke her face in return. "Penny...I have never felt as free and safe as I do at this moment. My mind has always been at work evaluating potential risks to my health. Here, with you...my mind is finally calm." He touched his forehead to hers and closed his eyes. "I'm sure that had that accident never happened I would not have become aware of this bond for quite some time, and then it's possible it would've been too late."

Penny closed the minimal distance between them and kissed him. It felt marvelous, but he couldn't help wondering if it would feel the same in reality. Here, his mind wasn't restless, but he knew in the waking world he would've worried about germs too much to really enjoy it. When Penny pulled away Sheldon gazed into her bright green eyes, still the brightest part of her. He loved this woman and found himself torn. He knew that once they woke up nothing would be the same. Everything here was perfect. But also, if they never woke up, they would never really be together. It wouldn't be perfect, but it would be real.

All of this raced through his head in a matter of seconds. The conclusion he came to was that he would revel in this freedom for as long as he was here and when he woke he would work his hardest to keep it, and her, regardless of the cost.

His kiss in return was sudden; harder and more passionate than she could've hoped, and encompassed half a decade of unspoken feelings and uncertainty. His other hand came up to hold the other side of Penny's face, his fingers threading into her hair at the nape of her neck. She captured his bottom lip and laved it with her tongue, sucked on it and bit. It made Sheldon groan and he pressed his hips into her, holding her tight. He sensed a line approaching, a line they could either cross together or not at all, and so he pulled away and rested his forehead on hers.

"Penny," he whispered, eyes still closed tightly, gasping for breath. He held her against him tighter, ever so tempted, but keeping himself under ironclad control. "I do not believe I could admit it in the waking world, but here I am free to do as I please and damn the consequences." He kissed her again, hard, but short. When he opened his eyes they bore into hers with more emotion than he had ever shown. "I love you, Penny. I have since the moment you called me a beautiful mind."

Penny kissed him, and hugged him just as hard, tears spilling from her eyes. Into his ear she whispered, "I love you too, Sheldon. I don't know when it happened, but it feels like forever."

They held each other tightly for minutes, hours, days. Neither knew, as this place was timeless and neither tired.


	6. Chapter 5

The next morning everyone ate breakfast and went to the hospital together. Wyatt carpooled with Mary's family in their rental car while Leonard drove Amy and Raj; Howard and Bernadette took their car.

Penny and Sheldon had been moved to a private room of their own the day before, but everyone was getting settled at the apartments so this was the first time anyone had been able to see them. The parents gave the nurses permission for everyone to enter the room, but they were only allowed in threes at most.

Meemaw, Mary, and Missy went in first. Penny was closer to the door; Mary stood next to her and took her hand. "Amy told me what happened between her and Shelly," she whispered hoarsely, patting Penny's hand. "Thank you for pickin' him up and bein' his friend. Things coulda been so much worse if you hadn't." With a squeeze, she let go of her hand and bent to kiss her forehead, then moved on to her son.

"Shelly, dear, I hope you can hear me. Meemaw and I took a train all the way out here just to see you."

The woman in question sat in the chair next to Sheldon's bed and held his unbroken hand. "Sheldon Lee, you know I love you. And I know you love me." She bowed her head and her voice lowered. "You probably won't like to hear this, but we'll be prayin' for you two. The doctors did their part in fixin' ya up, and we'll do ours in our prayers. But you gotta do your part and want it, too. You gotta wanna get better, Moon Pie. If you don't want it bad enough our prayers won't work. We can only do so much. We'll do everything we can, but you gotta promise me, baby, you'll do everything you can, too." She didn't shed a tear, but her voice was shaking. Meemaw was a strong woman, but this was close to her limit.

Missy took the chair between the two beds and looked from Penny to Sheldon and back. "Penny, you're my friend. Get better, please. A good person like you is hard to find here in the big city." She knew how much her twin hated touching people, so she kept her hands to herself. "Shelly, you gotta get better, too. You're my twin brother and I love you, no matter how crazy you are. I need you, bub."

~*DD*~*DD*~*DD*~

Wyatt, Leonard, and Amy went in next. Wyatt simply sat next to his daughter and held her hand. He spared her friend a thought 'cause he knew she'd want him to, though. Penny had told him a lot about Sheldon, he knew they were close friends. His focus, however, was on his baby girl.

Leonard was surprised at the amount of tubes and bandages attached to Sheldon. He should've expected it after hearing the extent of his injuries, but it still took his breath away to see how vulnerable his friend looked. It also struck him as odd that their heartbeats were synchronized, so it sounded like there was just one loud heart monitor instead of two. It sounded like a good, strong heartbeat, though, and he was glad for it.

Amy sat in the chair Missy had vacated and cried. Leonard put his arm around her shoulders and squeezed. Amy buried her face in his shirt and whispered, "It's all my fault, Leonard. They're hurt and it's all my fault."

Leonard let her cry for a minute, then said, "Hey. Ssshhh. It's not your fault. Things happen, Amy. It's no one's fault. Hey. Listen. They have good, strong heartbeats. They'll be just fine."

Amy sniffed and dried her eyes. "They are strangely synchronized, but they are strong." Another sniff. "I wonder if the doctors would give me their brain scans. I might be able to help."

Leonard patted her on the shoulder and said, "There ya go. Everything'll be ok." He moved over to lean against Penny's bed and kissed her cheek. "I know you probably don't want to hear this, but I love you, Penny. I need you to get better. We all need you to get better soon."

~*DD*~*DD*~*DD*~

Raj, Howard, and Bernadette didn't stay long. For some reason it felt strange to them, visiting these two in a hospital; like they were intruding somewhat.

Raj nodded to Sheldon respectfully, wishing him well. He told Penny it was a shame she was sleeping, 'cause now he could actually talk to her without the help of alcohol.

Howard didn't say anything, but kept a hand on his wife's back. Bernadette tried not to cry when she looked at Sheldon and failed when she looked at Penny. They left the room and joined the others for dinner.


	7. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you hadn't yet figured it out, yes this is supposed to be the Valley of the Many-Colored Grass from Poe's Eleonora, hence the quote in a previous chapter. No, this story doesn't parallel that one.

Here in this dream world that still seemed so familiar they had no need of food or water, but found the stream to be calming and visually interesting. It allowed the meadow to seem endless in either direction but gave them an anchor if they explored.

It also served as a mirror of sorts. Sheldon and Penny saw themselves as they always had, merely less colorful. Their eyes were still bright, but their bodies were muted and washed out.

Penny tugged Sheldon to the ground and linked her arm through his.

"Sheldon, would it be cruel to wish we never had to leave?"

Sheldon unwound their arms and ran his hand up and down her back.

"If we never left then we would never wake up," he replied. "But that would also mean we wouldn't die. So I'm not sure. It would hurt our friends and family if we didn't awaken, or if we died. On the other hand, if we did wake up and this truly was only a dream that only one of us had, either you or I, and we made these feelings known it would impact the others as well."

He didn't mention the possibility of only one of them getting better.

They had noticed the return of some of their color thanks to the small river's mirror. Sheldon also noticed that Penny's color was returning faster. He could guess the meaning and kept it to himself for the time being. No use in spoiling the beauty of what they shared here. There would be time for that later.

For now he was content to bask in Penny's carefree happiness and enjoy their time alone, even if it was only in their dreams. He could touch her, kiss her, love here here without fear or judgement. She could breathe freely and smile easily and laugh loudly without the need for alcohol or sarcasm. None of their defence mechanisms were needed because here they needn't defend themselves. Here they could truly be the best they could be because they were together.

Sheldon, happier than he could ever remember, grabbed Penny's waist and lifted her onto his lap to kiss her. At first he had feared the crash had given him brain damage, resulting in his ability to 'let loose,' as Penny put it. Penny squashed that idea quickly, attributing it simply to the dream world.

He lay back, pulling her with him, and grinned into the kiss. Whatever would happen would happen and he couldn't change it, but he could enjoy things until then. He loved this woman and she loved him.


	8. Chapter 7

Penny's and Sheldon's injuries were healing well, but there seemed to be no sign of them waking up. Everyone was worried that they wouldn't, but Amy kept saying their brain scans showed promise.

When Tuesday came around they all headed to the Cheesecake Factory, purely out of habit. While they were there Leonard let Penny's boss know of her condition and likeliness of recovery.

Since Missy intended to stay until then, she asked about a job after dinner, citing her experience at Fudruckers.

"If you want, I can hire you as a temp waitress until Penny can come back," the manager offered. "I normally wouldn't hire anyone in this fashion, but we're short staffed, and while Penny wasn't waitress of the year, she helped out a whole lot. If you're even half as helpful as Penny is we could use you."

Missy stood and shook his hand. "Thank you so much, I promise I'll do my best."

The manager nodded and stood also, giving Missy a half smile. "Who knows. If you're good enough I may even keep you after Penny returns."

~*DD*~*DD*~*DD*~

Amy sat in the hospital room between Sheldon and Penny and studied the CAT scans and MRIs. The synchronized heartbeats had been unusual and somewhat difficult to get used to, but now they were just background noise.

The CAT scans revealed skull fractures healing well, while the MRIs were less promising. They both showed healing, but Penny's was healing better. She would be back to normal soon, most likely no more than three weeks. Sheldon, on the other hand, was healing, but much slower. At this rate, if he were to fully recover it would take upwards of twelve to fourteen weeks. That wasn't a slope Amy was hopeful about, considering he couldn't breathe without a machine. At least Penny was breathing on her own now.

Amy also knew that coma patients dream and she was curious about their brain activity. Everything pointed to the two dreaming, if not the same dream, then one eerily similar. She kept the information to herself for the time being.

Instead, she told the others what the doctors had told her: there was hope, even if it was only a glimmer.

The heart monitor skipped a beat and Amy almost failed to realize that it was still synchronized.


	9. Chapter 8

As they walked up the river hand in hand, Penny took a moment to really look at them together. She stopped and turned them toward the stream that served as their mirror and took in the sight. The colors bothered her and she couldn't quite put her finger on why until now.

She was getting steadily brighter, but, if anything, Sheldon had only faded.

Penny's eyes widened and a small gasp escaped her lips. Sheldon tensed next to her and gripped her hand tighter.

"I was hoping you wouldn't notice."

Penny turned her head and searched his face, hoping to find something, anything other than sadness. She was disappointed.

"You're fading." He nodded.

"And you're getting brighter."

"I'm getting better and you're not." Tears shone in her eyes and he nodded again, but kept his head down this time. He couldn't look into those eyes when they looked like that. Not when she looked so heartbroken over him.

"Penny, you have to promise me that if I don't get better, you will. If you wake up and I don't... I don't want you to destroy yourself over me. I couldn't handle it if you weren't okay." He looked back up, into her tearstained face, his own eyes shining. "I need you to be okay."

Penny wanted to argue, wanted to tell him she wasn't going anywhere without him. She wanted to yell that if she was getting better that he had to too, or she just wouldn't. She wouldn't wake up if he didn't also. But she knew she couldn't control that. She couldn't make his brain repair itself, couldn't speed up his recovery to match hers.

It hurt more than she could ever have imagined, but she nodded. Determined to show him how much he meant to her, she crushed herself to him and sobbed into his dull Flash t-shirt, of which only the Flash emblem still had any vibrance. Right around his heart.

Sheldon let her cry for a while, and when her breathing evened out again he tilted her head up and captured her lips. It wasn't like the other kisses they had shared. Those had been carefree, full of happiness and lacking any desperation or urgency. They had been lazy and loving. This kiss was everything the others hadn't been. It was fast and hard and a little sad. It was the beginnig of goodbye.

Penny, ever the Big Ol' Five, only knew of one way to express her feelings. She broke the kiss long enough to remove her shirt and let him know he should do the same. Both their hearts skipped a beat when she brushed a hand against the bulge in his pants trying to unbutton them.

She paused there, and broke the kiss again. "Sheldon, we don't have to do this if you don't want to."

Sheldon stopped her there with yet another kiss. "Penny. Nothing bothers me here. If we were to ever indulge ourselves, it would have to be here, in our dream." He briefly closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers. "I love you, Penny. I want this, and it can only happen here. Please let it happen."

Penny responded by spreading out his Flash shirt and pulling him down to lie with her.


	10. Chapter 9

Wyatt, Mary, and Meemaw had packed up and gone home a couple weeks ago, but Missy stuck around. She was a little uncomfortable with basically inserting herself into Penny's place in life, having taken over her job and apartment, but the others reassured her it was only temporary.

In the meantime, Missy waited tables and paid Penny's rent. She didn't want to completely take over, so her clothes and most of her belongings stayed in her suitcase, but she bought new bedding and toiletries in the interest of "making herself at home."

That being said, she didn't spend much time there. When she wasn't working or sleeping she was sitting with her brother, often accompanied by Amy.

Amy liked to reassure her that there was still hope. Missy was sure Amy just wanted to hear it, even if it was just from herself.

Missy didn't subscribe to any particular belief, but she was pretty sure that while Penny was improving every day, her brother wasn't so lucky. While all of Penny's physical injuries had healed, Sheldon was still covered in bruises. Their hearts no longer beat in sync; Sheldon's had just barely quickened, just enough to create two distinct rhythms. It grated on Missy's nerves after getting so used to the one beat and she knew it could only mean trouble.

~*DD*~*DD*~*DD*~

Leonard had adjusted surprisingly slowly to life alone in the apartment. Under normal circumstances he would take every opportunity to go against Sheldon's schedule and do his own thing, but Leonard hadn't so much as watch a single episode of Babylon 5 or even ate french toast on oatmeal day. He simply couldn't bring himself to get used to Sheldon being gone. He had to be ready for Sheldon and Penny's return.

When Leonard received a phone call from Siebert he was eating Thai food alone in his stuffed chair.

"Dr. Hofstadter, I've got a proposition for you. Stephen Hawking wants you on his North Pacific expedition."

Excitement and guilt warred within him. Finally he stuttered out a response.

"Uh, thank you so much, Dr. Siebert, it's an honor, but...do you think I could have a day or two to think it over? I mean, with Sheldon in the hospital I'd like to be sure... Y'know, I wanna know he'd be okay. If he woke up."

"Of course, Dr. Hofstadter, I completely understand. We also want to make sure Dr. Cooper makes a full recovery. He may be an asshat, but he's a brilliant asshat and I've gotten used to having him around." Leonard could tell Siebert's intent was sincere, even if the words themselves were less than ideal.

"Yes, sir."

~*DD*~*DD*~*DD*~

Leonard took the next day off to think things over and discuss them with the others, but mostly just sat with Penny and Sheldon.

Sheldon had gotten worse, but Penny was getting better. It was possible that she could wake up at any moment. There was no brain damage and her physical injuries had healed completely about a week ago.

Leonard didn't want to not be here when she woke up, but more than that, he didn't want to be stuck on a ship in the North Pacific if she woke up and Sheldon...didn't.

He told President Siebert he'd think about it and make a decision by the next day, but he just couldn't make up his mind.

In the end he decided to put his name down, but on the chance that one or both of them woke up before they left, he'd stay. Hawking agreed as long as Leonard knew that once they left they couldn't return for three months.


	11. Chapter 10

Penny and Sheldon lay together among the red asphodel and daisies, her head resting on his shoulder.

"You're almost to your normal, sunny complexion, Penny," Sheldon whispered, pulling her closer.

"And you're fading before my eyes," Penny muttered through her tears. "Only your Flash logo has color anymore."

Penny was getting better while Sheldon was only getting worse. It was beyond obvious at this point.

"Sheldon. I don't want to wake up if you're not -" her words were cut off by Sheldon's lips on hers.

"Don't say that," Sheldon said, sounding more corporeal than he had since they first awoke in this plane of existence. "If I don't wake up I want you to promise me you will. Every day. Wake up, go to auditions, go to work. Live your life, Penny. For me, if not for yourself. Promise me."

Penny stared into his cerulean eyes and saw everything she'd wished to see in a lover's eyes. She couldn't refuse him.

"I promise, Sheldon." They sealed it with a kiss.

Penny could feel a tugging in her heart and tears pooled in her eyes once more.

"I'm waking up," Penny said with a little distress. Her next words were hurried. "I love you, Sheldon. You fight, ok? Fight. You wake up." She could feel the pull on her heart, urging her to wake.

"I love you, too, Penny," Sheldon smiled. "But I won't wake up."

~*DD*~*DD*~*DD*~

Penny woke with a gasp. Judging by the darkness it was the middle of the night. Her injuries had healed while she slept, it seemed.

Sheldon wasn't so fortunate. His head and chest were still bruised and he slept with a tube down his throat, obviously to help him breathe. The car had hit his side, so he got the worst of it. His heartbeat was thready at best, obviously helped by the machines.

Penny pulled all the wires and tubes off of her and stumbled out of her bed, causing a lot of noise that hurt her head. Her legs were weak from weeks of disuse, but she made it over to him and climbed up next to him.

"Sheldon, sweetie, wake up," she croaked. Her voice was dead. She kissed him softly and heard his heart rate increase a few bps, but it quickly steadied due to the machine. It was clear that only the machines were keeping him alive now.

"No," she whispered, tears flowing freely. She burrowed her face into his neck and sobbed.

A passing nurse noticed the movement and came in to check on her. As Penny suspected, Sheldon's brain had stopped functioning after her kiss. The nurse wrote a few notes on his chart and left them alone for the night.

Penny lay next to him with her head on his shoulder and sang Soft Kitty, tears soaking into the shoulder of his gown.

In the morning the doctor called Missy and Amy, since Leonard had already left for the ship. Everyone rushed over as soon as they could. They embraced Penny, relieved that she was awake and fine, if weak. Missy made the decision to wait til Mrs. Cooper and Meemaw arrived to take Sheldon off of life support. They wanted to say their goodbyes.

~*DD*~*DD*~*DD*~

Leonard had been on the ship for a month when he got a satellite call informing him of his girlfriend's recovery and his roomate's deterioration. He agreed with Missy's decision to have the rest of his familiy there and wished he could be there as well. He spoke briefly with Penny, promising to be home as soon as possible and that she could stay in his room if she wanted.


	12. Epilogue

Amy and Penny spent some time together after everything and came to the conclusion that it is entirely possible that Penny's dream was shared by Sheldon, given their brain activity.

Penny spent the weeks without Leonard writing everything she could remember about the dream. When he finally came back they had a long discussion about their futures. While they decided to go their separate romantic ways, they also decided it would be best if Penny took Sheldon's room and Missy stayed at Penny's.

When Penny was sure her story was as good as it was going to get she contacted her agent and sent it to her.

~*DD*~*DD*~*DD*~

A year after the accident Penny sat with a hand under her chin and a tear on her cheek. She was smiling at the young couple on set bickering about the best way to bring their characters to life.

Her agent had loved the script and immediately sent it off to several different directors. Lifetime picked it up before anyone else had even so much as looked at it. They knew a good idea when it was plopped in front of them.

When the actors and crew were in place, Penny asked the director a question and he nodded.

She grinned through her tears and yelled, "ACTION!"


End file.
